Sacred Heart/St. Dominic is a small, inner city parish in Portland, Maine, with a large, relatively poor Hispanic and African membership. Its food pantry, in which Hope Gateway (Chestnut Street Methodist is a partner) meets a growing Parkside neighborhood need, serving up to 200 people weekly.

The Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Haiti Project financed teachers salaries for remote mission schools of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Church and roofed a mission church/school in Saut d'Eau between 2001 to 2004. It supported Sr. Angela's sewing coop there and in Port au Prince from 2001 to 2009, by providing funds and selling tablecloths and children's dresses.

In 2006, they began funding a new school at Christ the King Church in Morne Rouge near Cap Haitien, funding teachers' salaries and a noon meal for students daily.

The next year, in addition, they funded the construction of a two-room school building and began assisting the Sacre Coeur Institute in Cap Haitien, providing sewing materials and funds but, chiefly, signing up sponsors for school children to fund their uniforms, books, a daily meal, and tutoring.

In 2008, in addition, they provided a generator and musical instruments for the Church and school.

In 2009, in addition, they began assisting Peace Quilts, which makes gorgeous quilts, particularly Sr. Angela's central involvement in that program. Sacred Heart/ St. Dominic sells or raffles quilts for them.

in January, 2010, on top of these three projects, they responded to the earthquake relief challenge with assistance. They raised over $5000 in three months so far in direct contributions from parish members, relatives, and friends and help from school fundraisers. The assistance was provided to fifty-five former Morne Rouge residents, now penniless refugees from Port au Prince, who had returned to Morne Rouge, and seven orphaned children--food, clothing, plus tuition for three school-age orphans.

They have not been able to meet their needs on top of their ongoing school, student sponsorship, and quilt project commitments so that any assistance to that effort will be a godsend.

Funds for the refugees are distributed through the church charity committee which assesses needs and sets priorities. They are fully confident that the distribution is responsible and without waste whereas much aid to Haiti is being siphoned off by aid organization staff, flawed distribution, theft, corruption, etc. Funds are transferred via Konbit Sante personnel at no cost.

Special thanks go out to Anne Wolf Johnson who provided the text for this webpage and to Patricia Chasse for the photographs from her February 2009 trip to Haiti. Thanks also to Bill and Ursula Slavick.

Beautiful Quilt Raffle: $5 per ticket or three tickets for $10

Interested in raffle tickets for the beautiful quilt or in donating

to the work in Haiti supported by Sacred Heart/St. Dominic’s?

Please send donations to Ursula Slavick, 242 Ludlow Street,

Portland, Maine 04102. Phone: 773-6562

THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION OF SACRED HEART/ ST. DOMINIC PARISH Announces:

We are having our annual Empty Bowl Supper to raise funds for our Haiti projects (funding teachers' salaries and a daily lunch for the children at Christ the King School in Morne Rouge) on March 2, 2013. It's Saturday evening, starting @ 5PM in the parish hall of Sacred Heart St. Dominic's in Portland, at the corner of Mellen St. and Sherman Sts.

We will have delicious soups donated by area restaurants and bread donated from a local bakery. Everyone will receive a bowl to take home empty as a reminder of hunger in the world. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the door. Thanks for spreading the word!